Building an Environmental Philosophy Routledge Studies in Contemporary Philosophy Series

In this work, Godlovitch explores aspects of the value of nature other than as a resource to satisfy our material interests. A recurring theme is that nature?s non-instrumental value thus conceived must be understood as involving a distinctively inextricable complex of both aesthetic and moral considerations. This distinguishes such value from the sorts typified by the moral worth of human beings and the aesthetic worth of cultural artifacts. He asks such questions as: Is there any relation between an aesthetic appreciation of nature and the reasonably well-established traditions of aesthetics of art and culture? Can an aesthetics of nature play any practical role in environmental protection? Godlovitch argues that we are encouraged, if not compelled, toward a conception of value in its own right whether we try to forge either a natural aesthetic or an environmental ethic.

Part 1: Building an Aesthetics of Nature – Seeking a Perspective Shift 1. Attitudes Towards Nature 2. Appreciating Nature 3. Valuing and Evaluating Nature 4. The Autonomy of Natural Aesthetics 5. Creativity in Nature 6. Protecting Nature Part 2: Ethical Perspectives 7. Offending Against Nature 8. Our Status and Station in Nature 9. Autonomy and Sovereignty in the Natural Sphere 10. Why Conservation? How is Sustainability Possible? Epilogue 11. Moral and Aesthetic Progress